Railway track and car



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. M. BOYNTON.

Railway Tracks and Cars. No. 230,999. Patented Aug. 10,1880.

N. PETERS, PHOWHIMDGRIPHER, WASHINGTON. D c

Nb Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. M. BOYNT'ON.

Railway Tracks and Cars.

No. 230,999. Patented Aug. 10,1880.

rLPErmS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D c.

(No Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

B. M. BOYNTON.

Railway Tracks and Cars. No. 230,999. Patented Aug. 10,1880.

nwnesses. 9 2M w' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBEN M. BQYNTON, OF \VE T NEWBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY TRACK AND CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,999, dated August 10, 1880.

Application tiled April 10, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EBEN Moonv BOYN- tON, of West Newbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Railway Tracks and Cars, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that class of railways in which the motive power is appliedto a large central driving-wheel traveling upon a central rail; and the improvements consistin a peculiar construction of the frame-work of the roadway whereby the tracks now in use are madeavailable as the supporting rails of my rolling-stock Without in any way interfering with the travel of ordinary trains, and in means for forcing the main driving-wheel to its rail to enable the locomotive to ascend steep grades.

The precise formation of the frame-work or structure will be varied according to the particular circumstances and conditions under which the road is constructed, but there will in every case be asystem of upright timbers or supports and a second system or set of overhanging timbers or supports carrying a guiding-rail or series of rails. This overhanging support and its rail or rails may be either above the car or locomotive, or it may project into the side thereof, and serves to steady and support the vehicle and prevent the same from leaving the track. \Vhere there is already a road of the usual construction the overhanging rail may be arranged in a vertical plane directly over one of the rails of said read, thereby avoiding the necessityof providing a special supportingrail, as in the case of constructing entirely new roads. This plan is advantageous not only in point of economy but also because a firm, solid, and settled bedrail is thus secured in the first instance. The uprights of the structure will be extended upward beyond the overhanging support to receive the telegraph-wires, or they may be carried along the upper sides of the overhanging supports.

It is in many cases impracticable to employ a guide-rail above the cars and locomotives, while at the same time it is desirable to retain the large driving-wheels in order to secure the high speed contemplated, while in running at such speed it is necessary that means be pro- (No model.)

vided to prevent the cars and locomotives from leaving the track. In such case the large driving wheel or wheels will be retained, and guide-wheels will be provided and arranged to travel upon a guiding rail or rails located at one side of the roadway, and sufticiently outward therefrom to clear the cars and locomotives of ordinary trains, the guide wheels and rails being by preference arranged at an angle of fortyfive degrees, or thereabont, in order that they may serve not only toprevent the cars from rising, but also hold them against tipping or side motion.

As my system of railways is intended to secure the attainment of high speed and is designed for passenger travel chiefly, the trains will be exceedingly light as compared with those of the present system, and hence I contemplate climbing or ascending much steeper inclinations than is at present practicable, thus avoiding the expensive gradingand tunneling now practiced, and permitting a much more di- 1'. ct route. than now found possible.

To enable the locomotive to ascend such elevations it is necessary to provide means for producingfriction upon the rails, and this I accomplish by forcing the guide-wheels firmly against their rails, which in turn force the large supporting and drivingwheels firmly to the main rail.

Referring now to the drawi u gs accompanying, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a roadway constructed in connection with one of the present system; Figs. 2 and 3, similar views of roadways constructed independently of previous roads Figs. 4, 5, and 6. views illustrating different plans or forms of framing for the roadway, to be used either in connection with or independently of existing roads; Figs.7and 8, views illustrating a framing more especially intended for temporary roads; Fig. 9, a view representing the guide-rail and its support extending into the side of the car, but located outside of the line of ordinary cars; Fig. 10, a view of the devices by which the driving-wheel is forced to its rail.

Asbet'ore stated, there is employed in every instance in constructing the frame-work a system of uprights, A, and a second system of overhanging supports, B, the latter carrying on their under side a guiding and. retaining rail, to, as shown, this construction or arrangement being adopted in order that the framing may be used with equal convenience for either entirely new roads or with those already in use, it being only necessary in the latter case to set the framing along by the side of the roadway with the top rail, rein proper position to receive and guide the guide-wheels.

When used in connection with existing roads the overhanging support B and guide-rails will be either at such distance above the bed-rail as to clear the tops of ordinary trains, or placed at one side of the roadway and so far outside of the vertical plane of the bed-rail as to clear said cars, as shown in Fig. 9. In the latter case two guide-rails and two sets of guidewheels will preferably be employed, as shown in Fig. 9, in order to prevent the train from leavingthe track or moving to either side, B representing the overhanging support carrying the guide-rails a a, and b I) represent ing the guide-wheels traveling thereon. In practice it is preferred to place the guidewheels at an angle-say of forty-five degreesin the direction shown,in order that they may resist the various strains to which they are subjected to the greatest advantage.

0 in the several figures represents the car, which may either contain within itself its propelling machinery or may be drawn by a locomotive in the manner of an ordinary train. Each car and locomotiveis furnished with one or more large driving or supporting wheels, 0, grooved to run upon a T-rail, (Z, or adapted and arranged to travel in a grooved rail.

An important advantage of my system is that the framing affords an excellent carrier for the telegraph-wires, the number of which is now becoming so great that serious difficulty is experienced in findin a sufiicicntly strong support therefor. My training, which will be trussed and braced in the same manner essentially as bridge-work, cannot readily be blown down or overturned. By stringing the wires upon the framing they are brought within the line of the rails and economy of space is thereby efi'ected. Insulators 0 receive the wires.

The framework will be more or less extensive or elaborate, according to the number 'of tracks it may be desired to use, as will be seen by referring again to the drawings, Fig. 1. representing a form especially designed for use ill connection with existing roads to render them capable of receiving either the common style of rolling-stock or my improved cars, or the two alternately; Figs. 2 and 3, forms intended in the lirst instance for single track, but susceptible of ready adaptation to both systems, when desired, by simply laying an additional rail; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, forms of framing suitable for use in the construction of new roads, adapted to both the old and new systems; Figs. 7 and 8, framing especially intended for temporary roads, the same being made as light and simple as possible, in order that it may be prepared in the shops and conveyed to its destination in a completed form. The framing will, of course, be braced in all directions in which it is subjected to strain, as in ordinary trestle-work.

In order to enable the locomotives to ascend steep grades, I provide means for forcing and holding the wheels to the tracks, as shown in Fig. 10, in which fg representa toggle-lever having a depending operating-arm which will "be under the control of the engineer or his assistants, and by which the wheels I) and 0 may be forced apart and held firmly in contact with the rails. A lever connected by a rod with the depending arm h and placed within reach of the engineer may be employed, or other equivalent operating device may be used.

I am aware that a large central supporting and driving wheel traveling upon a central rail and guided and sustained by a rail over head is-not new, and I lay no claim thereto; but 1 am not aware that any one has hitherto constructed or proposed an overhead rail-support, which might be used at will, either with roadways now in use orindependently thereof, or that any one has ever before provided means for holding the main driving-wheels firmly to the rails.

I am also aware that a pair of supportingrails and a corres -itmding pair of overhead retaining-rails ha\e been placed within a traming; that it has been proposed to employ guidewheels capable of being driven by connection with the motor by which the train is moved and of being forced with greater or less pressure against their ails or guides, and that small wheels working beneath the supportingrails and connected with levers, whereby the driving wheels and the smaller friction producing wheels could be drawn against the op posite faces of the rail, and i lay no claim thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with a rail of an ordinary railroad-track, an elevated guide-rail located outside of the vertical plane of the lower rail, whereby it is adapted to receive and guide rctaining-wheels of a single-rail car, but to clear the ordinary double-rail car, as set forth.

2. In combination with a supportingrail and a guidingrail, a vehicle adapted to travel between said rails and provided with one or more driving or supporting wheels, and with guide wheels to travel upon the respective rails, and means, substantially such as shown, for forcing the driving-wheel to its rail.

EBEN MOODY BOYNTON.

YVitnesses:

Gno. F. GRAHAM, WILLIAM W. DODGE. 

